Agave Not So Sweet?

Ix-nay On The Agave!

Oh , gosh! Don’t you just love agave sweetener? So delicious and low on the glycemic index. Doesn’t it just seem like the perfect natural sweetener?

Unfortunately, its very low glycemic index (35 or less) is a reflection of its high fructose content. In turn, that high fructose content places it low on the health scale.

Without going into the word wars between the world’s largest producer of agave syrup and Dr. Mercola (the world’s largest health website),* let’s cut to the chase. Here’s what the Harvard Health website has to say about it:

Fructose once seemed like one of nutrition’s good guys . . . But fructose, at least in large quantities, may have some drawbacks. Fructose is metabolized almost exclusively in the liver. It’s more likely to result in the creation of fats, which increase the risk for heart disease.

Moreover, recent work has shown that fructose may have an influence on the appetite hormones. High levels of fructose may blunt sensations of fullness and could lead to overeating. (It., Ed.)

The agave syrup producers never mention the health dangers of their product, but refute Dr. Mercola while standing up for the sustainability of agave farming and the trickle down to the Mexican farmers involved.